Sufficiently Selfsufficient

The phrase gomel chessed, or gemilus chessed, may seem paradoxical. Gomel means to wean or make someone independent while chessed means giving—seemingly a contradiction.

We are taught that the highest level of tzedakah is enabling the recipient to become self-sufficient. Indeed, there is an expression, “Give me a fish and I can eat for a day. Teach me to fish and I can eat for a lifetime.”

With this understanding, the two words harmonize: the greatest form of giving (chessed) is enabling a person to stand on his own (gomel).